An early diagnosis campaign for plasmocytic myeloma is being launched. A similar campaign was launched several years ago in other countries by the European Myeloma Network. According to data from this organisation, one in four myeloma patients in Europe sees at least four doctors before being diagnosed with the disease. Meanwhile, early detection allows for faster and more effective treatment.

The Scientific Council of the Polish campaign, chaired by Professor Jadwiga Dwilewicz-Trojaczek from the Department of Internal Medicine, Haematology and Oncology at the Medical University of Warsaw - points out that myeloma patients often seek help from general practitioners, orthopaedic surgeons, surgeons, traumatologists, rheumatologists, internists and nephrologists, only to end up with haematologists who will provide the correct diagnosis.

The annual incidence of this type of cancer in Europe is approximately 40 : 1,000,000. Plasmocytic myeloma is much more common in people aged 60-65 years; only 3% patients are under 40 years of age. Multiple myeloma is slightly more common in men. Recently, however, there has been a steady increase in incidence among patients under 60 years of age. Patients often seek help from general practitioners, orthopaedists, surgeons, traumatologists, rheumatologists, internists, nephrologists, and ultimately end up in haematologists, where the correct diagnosis is often made after a delay of many months.

erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) - a laboratory test that measures the rate of descent of red blood cells in unclotted blood over 1 hour; in medical diagnostics, it serves as an indicator of inflammatory, rheumatic and neoplastic processes.

Above-normal ESR is physiological in pregnancy and postpartum (up to 6 weeks postpartum). An elevated ESR can also occur in women just before menstruation and during menstruation, as well as under the influence of hormonal contraceptives. In these cases, it should not be cause for concern. In other cases, an elevated ESR in blood tests requires further diagnosis. An elevated ESR may be indicative of:

inflammatory conditions (infectious and non-infectious). However, the ESR does not say anything about the cause or location of the inflammation - this requires diagnosis,
proliferative blood diseases, e.g. leukaemia,
cancer.

The most common symptoms of plasmocytic myeloma:

bone pains 2/3 most often in the spine and ribs, sometimes also in the head; they increase with movement and do not occur at night (apart from a change of position during sleep),
osteoporosis,
pathological bone fractures,
A reduction in height of up to several centimetres as a result of a vertebral fracture,
anaemia,
irregular nose and gum bleeding and easily formed bruises,
neurological symptoms,
peripheral neuropathy,
spinal cord compression syndrome,
symptoms of hypercalcaemia,
rarely fever usually due to infections,
frequent infections, most commonly pneumonia, but also meningitis or urinary tract infection (usually the first symptom of the disease),
symptoms of renal failure,
symptoms of hyperviscosity syndrome.

Project Objective:

education of general practitioners, general practitioners on early diagnosis of plasmocytic myeloma and cooperation between general practitioner and haematologist,
education of patients and their families,
outline the diagnostic significance of the ESR test.

Diagnose plasmocytic myeloma.

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